INSIDE THE Q: Dubois tops Q for 2016 NHL draft

Pierre-Luc Dubois of the Screaming Eagles doesn’t have any real weaknesses, and his hockey IQ is about as good as it gets. (STAFF / File)

This seems quite overdue since we’re already a quarter of the way into the QMJHL season, but here is my first top 10 list of the year for NHL draft-eligible players.

1. Pierre-Luc Dubois, F, Cape Breton Screaming Eagles: Scouts rave about how he already plays a pro-style game. Dubois doesn’t have any real weaknesses, and his hockey IQ is about as good as it gets. He already understands the defensive part of the game and can play any forward position, plus he’s six-foot-three and 202 pounds.

2. Julien Gauthier, RW, Val-d’Or Foreurs: The running joke is he is posting Cy Young numbers in his third year in the Q: 12 goals and one assist, which mimic the won-loss record of a dominant major league pitcher. And to mix sports metaphors for a second time, he’s built like a football player. Gauthier is six-foot-four and 224 pounds, but he’s got good speed and soft hands.

3. Vitali Abramov, RW, Gatineau Olympiques: The Russian rookie is Gauthier’s polar opposite because he’s tiny. Abramov is generally listed at five-foot-nine and 170 pounds, but his skill level is incredible. His size makes him a bit of a wild card with scouts. He’s ranked anywhere from 15th to 50th right now.

4. Luke Green, D, Saint John Sea Dogs: There are few skaters in junior hockey as effortless as Green. The Hammonds Plains native was the first overall pick in the 2014 Quebec league draft, based to a large degree on how that athleticism seemed to give him limitless potential. But like any thoroughbred coming out of midget, Green needed defensive refinement and he has worked hard on that area of his game since entering the league. He is now Saint John’s leader with a plus-9 rating and his offence hasn’t suffered.

5. Samuel Girard, D, Shawinigan Cataractes: Size is a big concern here but skill is not. Girard is only five-foot-nine and 165 pounds, but his offensive ability is off the charts. He is the highest-scoring defenceman in the Canadian Hockey League with 22 points in 16 games. The good news for him is the NHL seems to be trending away from brawn, at least to a certain extent.

6. Pascal Laberge, C, Victoriaville Tigres: Like Green, there is a lot to like about Laberge’s potential. His talent base is highly attractive and scouts are encouraged that his production is trending in the right direction in his sophomore season.

7. Otto Somppi, C, Halifax Mooseheads: A strong showing at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup in August put the Finnish playmaker on the right path in his draft year and he has carried that momentum into his rookie season in Halifax. Somppi’s transition to major junior has been smooth and he seems poised to gear up his play even more now that he has his bearings in the Q.

8. Maxime Fortier, RW, Halifax Mooseheads: Scouts were anxious to see if Fortier could take his game up another level after a solid rookie year in 2014-15. They already loved his skating and saw plenty of raw skill, which he seems to be pulling together as a sophomore. He will continue to rise in the rankings if he can maintain his current scoring pace (18 games played, 21 points).

9. Evan Fitzpatrick, G, Sherbrooke Phoenix: Goalies don’t get picked as high as they used to so Fitzpatrick’s ranking in this top 10 reflects that. The six-foot-four netminder from Lower Sackville fits the modern prototype and he will be given every opportunity to determine his own draft destiny as Sherbrooke’s starter this year.

10. Brandon Gignac, C, Shawinigan Cataractes: His arc is virtually identical to Fortier’s. Gignac’s tremendous speed was easy to recognize, but scouts wanted to see him elevate his offensive game. With 15 points in his first 16 games this year, so far so good.